Following is her phone conversation with Thaell edited for space and spelling:
"I contacted Congressman Thaell with this news statement (she is referring to Police Officials statements that escorts for fallen servicemen can't be provided on FSU Football days) ...Thaell asked me if I could just advise the fallen hero's family if they could just postpone the funeral until the next day if there was a game...I was livid and ask him if he had lost his mind...That there would be no way I would ask a family such a thing, I would sooner call Bobby Bowden and ask him to postpone his stupid game...or better yet for Master Sgt. Bowden to take the Nole's football team and go to Iraq to fight for our country...I also told him that the Patriot Guards don't just "show up" at funerals of the KIA...we are asked or invited to attend. By then the family may have already made the funeral arrangements. Not that it would make a difference cuz we still would not ask a grieving mother or wife to wait till the next day because of a football game. I told Thaell that this wasn't just gonna blow over, that we were not going to settle for the crums the law enforce drops...that we are about to get loud, very loud.
I told Thaell that I was livid and that there was nothing more important in this city than to honor and show respect to a fallen hero. I asked him why the campus cops can't take care of the football games...he replied that there wasn't enough of them...I then told him that on these very important game days (sarcastically) that they could still provide at least two cops on bikes and that our blockers would still help as they've had to do it alone thus far. Thaell asked me to let him talk to Sherrif Campbell and he would get back to me...and he did...very quickly I might add...I was out when he left me the msg. that he had "good news" and asked me to call him. I was able to reach him this morning and he told me that Sheriff Campbell had agreed to have at least 2 bike cops on these game days or any other special goings on, no matter what...Now understand since Campbell agreed to do it the first time but then turned around and put a condition on it a day later...I asked Thaell if I could get that in writing...since I don't trust any of them...(I didn't tell Thaell that part) He sounded very annoyed by now and told me that at the very moment we were talking he was traveling out of the state with is family for vacation and would not be available for a couple of weeks...and that Campbell was a "man of his word" and if I wanted it in writing I'd have to contact the sheriff's office myself...I know that by the time I got through with that man, he must have needed a strong drink or at least a valium, LOL...
but one thing I really must give Thaell credit for...AT LEAST HE RESPONDED and did make the call to Campbell (who by the way is up for re-election for Sherrif again...GOOD THING I don't live in Leon County... God Bless you Master SGT Shawn Simmons,you are still making a difference for the country even in your grave. For after seeing that you got no respect and no honor from our local law enforcement made my blood boil...and I'm not the only one to see that this never happens again for your bothers to follow...I think we should refer this new change the MASTER SGT. SHAWN SIMMONS ACT...You rest in peace now...your job is well done. HOLLYWOOD"
O.K. People it is up to US, not just Hollywood. We have been sending every one of these posts to the Tallahassee and Leon County commisioners, the TPD Chief and are now sending them mto FSU and The Democrat. They are not responding to us. Why? What are they afraid of? Why are they hiding? Why do we want them to put in writing? To announce publicly? Because they backtracked on us!
We have aksed that they state publicly that they will provide an escort for "EVERY" fallen serviceman that returns home regardless of other apparently "more important events". And we will not rest, no compromise, no retreat, no surrender!!!
Keep in mind that the only Two commisioners have even had the courage to weigh in on this issue, Thaell and Bryan Desloge. The silence of others is proof of our initial post (see here) that, for the most part, the citizens of Tallahassee and Leon County do not give a damn about our fallen servicemen who stand in harms way because their government asks them to.
Those who have opened their mouths have answered the question we have been asking, yes FSU football does takes precedence over fallen Heros. Well SCREW YOU who would have a mother postpone her son or daughters funeral so YOU can watch football with beer and cheese nachos in hand.
SCREW every one of you afraid to stand up and publicly state YOU support those who are dying daily at Americas request where ever they may live. This is not about support or non-support of the war or the corrupt government that created it. This is about the boys and girls who die because WE did not have the courage to stand against a corrupt government and it's lies.
So in case I did not make myself clear SCREW every last one of you that made a Green Beret get out of his car in full dress uniform to seek a little respect for his fallen Brother Master SGT Shawn Simmons.
This is no longer the battle of Tallahassee as we have previously refered to it. This is the war in Tallahassee!
This will be sent to the addresses below. We ask everyone everywhere who honors and respects those who die because we ask them to send them an e-mail asking them, "why won't you publicly declare your intention to advocate for escorting fallen servicemen home "when" they come home, football game or not!" Send any responses you get, if they have the courage to respond, and we will print them. Just write one e-mail and cut and paste into the addresses.
Tallahassee Police Chief , Dennis Michael Jones, A Vietnam Veteran 850-891-4200
Leon County Sheriff Larry Campbell, U.S. Marine Corp Reserves, 850-922-3346
e-mail campbell@leoncountyfl.gov
Tallahassee Commisioners: Use this link to contact all of them at once
http://www.talgov.com/email.cfm?id=commissioners
Use this link to contact all the County commissioners at once:
http://www.leoncountyfl.gov/BCC/email/
FSU addresses:
trustees@www.fsu.edu
president@mailer.fsu.edu
lhinkle@fsu.edu
lbrock@mailer.fsu.edu
president@mailer.fsu.edu
cbakker@mailer.fsu.edu
tdurant@mailer.fsu.edu
mmckamey@mailer.fsu.edu
labele@fsu.edu
rbradley@fsu.ed
Tallahasee Democrat
http://tallahassee.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?Category=CUSTOMERSERVICE03
We can only Ride Free if we stand for those who fight to Keep us Free.Add to Technorati Favorites
I have lived in Florida some 15 plus years and seen a lot of stupied things here in Florida.
ReplyDeleteBut Tallahassee has top it all, A football game or anything is more important than a funerl. To me, whether it's for a fallen Hero or anyone else the police should escort the funrel possion.I have rode with the Patriot Guard on Many ocassions and the respect they have is outstanding.
You are correct Troy, the respect they have is outstanding. Everywhere except in Tallahassee. Home of the intelligentsia. College professors, legislators, state workers, none of whom either get it, or have balls enough to to stand for those who have stood for them
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